Providence teachers receive layoff notices, EducationCrossing finds 9,500 teaching jobs.

February 28, 2011   |    PDF version

Pasadena, CA — All the 1,926 teachers of public schools in Providence, Rhode Island have received termination notices saying that their jobs will be eliminated at the end of the current school year.

The move was initiated by the city's mayor, Angel Taveras. Taveras said the decision was made to give budget officials ''maximum flexibility'' in how to cover the deficit. The school board's $315 million budget is probably going to face a deficit of $40 million. The reason being given for sending notices to all the teachers was that the city is required to notify any teacher by March 1 who is going to be laid off or terminated the next academic year.

The city has not decided exactly who is going to be fired, so all teachers were sent the pink slips. The school board will also be able to fire teachers based on position and not seniority. Teachers are also concerned that being terminated would hurt their chances of being hired at other schools.

The local teachers union has called this tactic a ''back-door Wisconsin'' and an attempt to control and silence workers. The uproar has caused Taveras to announce that not all teachers would be fired and in fact majority of them would stay on.

EducationCrossing CEO A. Harrison Barnes says that cuts in K-12 education are likely in most states over the next few years. ''Teaching jobs in public schools are not as secure as they once were. But private schools are always hiring and even public schools cannot eliminate teaching positions such as special education teachers where they are required.'' EducationCrossing is a job aggregator site and has been able to find 9,500 teaching jobs in the last seven days.

Contact:
Roger Croft
Editorial Coordinator
EducationCrossing
626-243-1814
rogerc@EducationCrossing.com

About EducationCrossing:
EducationCrossing is part of the Employment Research Institute, one of the most powerful and comprehensive job search institutions dedicated to helping professionals find jobs that will enhance their careers. Employment Research Institute consists of 90+ industry-specific job boards which consolidate every job opening it can find in one convenient location. The website also offers a three-day free trial to new members.